Advertising clock



Sept. 1932- H. H. JACKSON ADVERTISING CLOCK Filed March 50, 1932 III] m R. W y k m H A TTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1932 PATENT OFFICE HARTLEY H. JACKSON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI ADVERTISING CLOCK Application filed March 80, 1932. Serial No. 601,999.

My invention relates to an advertising clock, and more particularly to an advertising device in which the clock face and the hands for indicating the time are but inter- 5 mittently revealed to an observer.

In the advertising clocks known to the art, where an advertisement has been spread across the face of the clock or in conjunction with a clock, the clock face is always visible in to an observer, with the result that vary frequently the advertisement appearing thereon is never read or never brought to the attention of one wishing to know the time.

One object of my invention is to provide 171 an advertising device in which the advertisement is always visible, in connection with a clock in which the time telling feature is but intermittently visible so that an observer must necessarily see the advertisement before he c can see the time.

Another object of my invention is to provide an advertising device in which a clock is mounted in a novel manner.

Other objects of my invention will appear is in the following description.

in the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the instant specification, and is to be read in conjunction therewith:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of my de- M vice.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of my advertising clock.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the electric connections of my device.

In general, my invention contemplates providing a translucent medium, such as ground glass for example, upon the face of which a to suitable advertisement is carried. This advertisement is always visible to an observer by reflected light, that is the light which is present in the space occupied by my device. Fpon the back or reverse side of the translucent medium are painted the figures of a clock face. Mounted upon a transparent sheet such as celluloid or glass is an electric clock mechanism, the minute and hourarbors of which project through the supporting medium. Secured in close proximity to the reverse side of the translucent sheet are the hour and minute hands of the clock mechanism which are attached to their respective arbors. The transparent clock supporting sheet and the translucent advertisin and 5 clock face bearing medium are mounted in any suitable cabinet in which is also mounted an electric light and a thermostatic making and breaking device.

It will be obvious that when the light is lit r... the shadow of the hands of the clock will be cast upon the translucent sheet and the light will at the same time make visible the clock face which is painted upon the reverse side of the medium, thus enabling an observer to a... tell the time. When the light is out all that is visible is the advertisement appearing on the face of the translucent sheet.

More particularly, referring now to the drawing, a tranlucent sheet 1 is mounted in a suitable cabinet 2 of any desired shape. The sheet 1 is made of translucent material such as ground glass or translucent celluloid or the like. Upon the'reverse side of sheet 1 are painted the numerals of a clock dial 3. is In close proximity to the translucent sheet 1, I mount a transparent member 4 upon which is mounted an electric clock mechanism 5. The electric clock mechanism forms no part of my invention and is of a conventional 30 design. The arbors 6 of the electric clock mechanism extend through the transparent sheet 4 and carry the respective hour and minute hands 7 and 8.

Within the cabinet 2 is mounted an elec- 5 tric light or lights 9 carried in a suitable socket 10. Connected in serie with the illuminating means 9 is a thermostatic make and break element 11. The current for the electric light and the electric clock mechano nism is introduced by means of a suitable conductor 12, entering the cabinet 2 through a bushing 13.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the thermostatic make and break element consists in a metal- 95 he bridge 14 around which is wound a resistance Wire 15 suitably insulated therefrom. The current flows from the positive line 16 through conductor 17, through the light 18, through the resistance 15, to the negative ter- 1w minal 19. The current flowing through the resistance heats the curved metallic element ll and increases its curvature until it makes contact with contact 20. The current then flows through line. 17, lamp 18, through branch line 21 which is grounded to the metallic curved element 14, through the metallic curved element to contact 5'20, through conductor 22 to the negative terminal 19, thus shunting out the resistance 15. When the resistance. 15 is in series with the light 9, the current is flowing at such a slow rate that there will be no illumination. When the re.- sislance is shunted out, however, the increase in the current, due to the fact that there is no resistance, interposed in the line, will cause the electric light 18 to be lighted. The electric clock is connected across the line and runs at all times.

It is to be understood that any suitable thermostatic make and break device may be used to give an intermittent lighting of the light 9.

In operation, the electric clock is always running. An obseri'er looking at my device will see the advertisement on the face thereof by reflected light. When the thermostatic element heats so as to make contact, the light 9 will light allowing an observer to see the numeralson the back of the translucent sheet and the 'clock hands by transmitted light, enabling him to tell the time. When the light flashes out only the advertisement is visible. The light continues to flash on and off lntermittently, making a novel advertising device which has the advantage of interposing the advertisement between the observer and the point of interest.

It is to be understood that certaln features, subcombinations and operations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made n details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It 1s,therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific detaills shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An advertising clock device including in combination, a translucent medium, an ad vertisement exposed to an observer carried on the front of said translucent medium, the numerals of a clock dial carried on the rear of said translucent medium and concealed thereby, and means for intermittently illuminating the rear of sald translucent medium whereby said clock dial is intermittently made visible from the front of said translucent medium.

2. An advertising clock device including in combination a housing, a translucent sheet mounted on one wall of said housing, an ad vertisement carried on the front of said translucent sheet and constantly exposed to view, a clock dial carried on the rear of said translucent sheet and normally concealed thereby, a. clock mechanism mounted in said housing, having the hour and minute hands thereof positioned in close proximity to the rear of said translucent sheet, an electric light positioned in said housing adapted to illuminate the rear of said translucent sheet, means for pcriodhtally actuating said light whereby the clock dial and the clock hands are intermittently visible to an observer.

3. An advertising clock device as in claim 2 wherein said clock mechanism is mounted on a transparent medium.

4. An advertising clock as in claim 2 wherein said means for periodically actuating said light comprises a thermostatic make and break device.

5. An advertising device as in claim 2 wherein said clock mechanism comprises an electric clock mechanism.

6. An advertising device having clock numerals on the rear side of a translucent material, advertising media exposed on the front side thereof and an illuminating device intermittently operated behind said translucent material adapted on illumination to make visible the clock numerals simultaneously with said advertising media.

7. An advertising device having a clock dial on the rear side of a translucent sheet, advertising media exposed on the front side of said sheet, a clock mechanism positioned rearwardly of said sheet having its hands in close proximity thereto, a source of light behind said clock hands, and means for intermittently operating said source of light to simultaneously reveal the clock dial with the advertising media.

8. An advertising clock device including in'cembination a housing, a light permeable medium mounted on one side of said housing, an advertisement carried on said medium and constantly exposed to view, a clock dial mounted within said housing and normally hidden from view by said medium, a clock mechanism mounted in said housing having hour and minute hands positioned in proximity to said medium, illuminating means positioned in said housing adapted to illuminate the rear of said medium, and means for periodically actuating said illuminating means whereby the clock dial and the clock hands are intermittently simultaneously visible to an observer.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARTLEY H. JACKSON. 

